


Changes

by Anonymous



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, I mean MAJOR, M/M, Major changes to the original plot, Mild Language, My Own AU, Not too shippy, Slow To Update, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-05-19 02:10:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19347412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: What if something completely changed? What if when Thor and Loki were kids, an argument tore them up so much that Loki ran away, never to be seen again? What if in the future, Thor finds Loki and the latter is actually an ally of the Avengers? What if in this universe, everything is completely different despite having some of the same aspects?Who knows?





	1. Disappear reappear

**Author's Note:**

> In this story, part of the first Thor movie is used, but it will be skipped over. Things become almost entirely different after Thor loses his powers and gets sent to Earth.

An insensitive prince was never a good thing, and Thor only realized that when someone went missing.

 

The disappearance only happened that morning. However, the trigger of it may have been during the week before.

 

“If you had simply stopped with your tricks, maybe you would be treated better!” Thor had snapped when he saw his younger brother pouting.

 

Loki played another prank on a guard, and as always, got in trouble for it. Thor wondered why his younger brother was so persistent on becoming the most mischievous child alive. Surely, there were no benefits. It was a reasonable concern and Loki knew that.

 

“Well, brother, you’ve done the same thing as me, and you came out fine. I may make many tricks, but I don’t suppose you know why.”

 

Of course ever since the allfather had directed his attention towards Thor, Loki had felt neglected. Thor was pampered while Loki was left alone in the dark with only his mother to confide in. She was a great helper and teacher to him, helping him master spells rather than physical fighting. However, while Frigga was amazing to him, he still felt lonely. Thor used to consider Loki his best friend but when Sif and the Warriors Three came along, things have changed.

 

With nobody his age, and very little attention on him, he started playing pranks, pulling tricks, and much more. Even if he was scolded afterwards, at least he had a daily dose of entertainment.

 

Yes, it was because of jealousy. He didn’t want to be forgotten.

 

So when Thor started shouting at him, he was surprised.

 

“I don’t understand why you do this, brother! It infuriates everyone to be around you because of everything you have done!”

 

Loki had to admit that Thor was correct in that aspect, but he hadn’t expected such an outburst. He became silent despite his nature.

 

“Nobody wants you! Not when you keep doing this! Mother and father are disappointed. My friends are mistreated by you. Everyone is tired of it!”

 

Thor had overreacted. He didn’t mean for any of it to come out that way. The sudden anger was a boiling point after watching his brother’s antics for countless months. It tipped him over the edge today because he was tired from sparring.

 

Loki hadn’t said a thing. He was a sensitive kid. At least, that’s how Thor remembered it. However, he didn’t hear a sniffle or sob as he thought he would have. Instead, the trickster walked away silently not letting a single thing escape his mask of indifference.

 

That single thing unsettled Thor, but he was already tired and angry, so he didn’t pursue.

 

. . .

 

Dinner was an awkward thing for both of them. The first evening was quiet with Frigga trying to start up any conversation. Thor didn’t want to look at Loki, so he didn’t, opting to ignore everything while chewing.

 

Loki on the other hand was acting fairly normal. Yes, he was a devious child, but he had manners at the table, even more than Thor who usually ate like a ravenous traveler.

 

Frigga had noticed how Thor was acting and decided to talk to him later that night.

 

“Thor, what plagues your mind?”

 

“Nothing,”

 

“Oh please, I know something is wrong. I am your mother.”

 

Thor flashed her a look of annoyance and consideration. He sighed to himself. “Loki was annoying me today.”

 

Frigga sighed as well. She saw what was happening very clearly. “Thor, he’s your younger brother. I know he may get on your nerves, but he only wants your attention. I will talk to him later and you two will apologize, alright?”

 

Thor usually felt resolved whenever his mother was comforting him, but right now, he was more troubled than comforted. “Why would he want to get my attention when it’s only negative?”

 

“Well, kids are like that. They crave all kinds of attention. Loki is no different. I’ll leave you to think. I love you, Thor.”

 

“I love you too, mother.”

 

The next few days were busy ones. He was getting tutored on the politics of the nine realms and it left him no time to think about Loki until the fifth day was close to ending. He was talking to Sif until he remembered what his mother had told him. He begrudgingly excused himself to find his brother not wanting things to stay tense between them. He was still irritated with Loki, but he had to do the right thing.

 

It was only now when he noticed Loki’s absence from dinner. His mind was so wrapped up he hadn’t even acknowledged the missing member of his family. Thor knocked on Loki’s door, not remembering when they started sleeping in separate rooms.

 

He heard a slight shuffle within the room before the door opened. Loki came out with his black hair appearing scraggly and messy. His green eyes were duller than they usually were, and his snow white skin seemed to have lost any real skin pigment, creating a sickly looking appearance. The younger huffed when he saw who knocked.

 

“Is there something you need?” Despite his appearance, his voice was relatively leveled and normal, although a little quieter this time around.

 

Thor looked away and rubbed his neck. “I just wanted to apologize. I know it’s been hard for you to be alone.”

 

The blonde looked back at his younger brother, seeing the same blank face as before. Loki blinked slowly, taking in these words.

 

“I’m sorry, but I’m not in the mood to talk right now.”

 

That was not a response he expected. “All I want to do is apologize. What’s up with you now? Can’t you at least say sorry for-,”

 

“Please leave.”

 

“Why?! You were the one who wanted attention.”

 

Loki slammed the door in his face. The action shocked the older of the two for many reasons, but mostly because this was not a very Loki response. Thor growled and started pounding on the door, demanding that Loki opened it.

 

A few guards saw this and pulled Thor away. Instead of trying to calm him, they opted to report “Loki’s behavior” to Odin which came as a surprise for both of the princes.

 

It was a long evening to say the least.

 

. . .

 

Loki was punished for not reasoning with Thor, but the latter escaped scot free. He left as soon as he could. Frigga was worried about her two sons, seeing how unfair it all was. Loki started off with arguing but became silent as Odin spoke.

 

“Loki, you must learn to compose yourself and stop with the tricks. You have a responsibility to fulfi-,”

 

“Responsibility?!” Loki interrupted. “You’re the one who kidnapped me from that responsibility! Why? Why did I have to be stolen away from my home?!”

 

Odin was silent, appalled to see that Loki knew the truth already. Who did he have to blame for this? The Æsir cleared his throat.

 

“I will explain in due time, my son.”

 

“I’m. Not. YOUR. SON!”

 

At this point, Loki was wailing.

 

Thor heard the sounds of sobbing from the other side, but dismissed it as Loki getting upset over his punishment. Still, he felt chills when he heard Loki’s choked cries. Thor ran off, not wanting to deal with any of it.

 

. . .

 

Although Frigga was not his mother, Loki felt comfortable in her arms. His tears wouldn’t stop, but he quieted down, not even whimpering.

 

The last few days were unfortunate for him. He snuck around the palace, trying to retrieve the casket of ancient winters for a prank. Alas when he did, something changed. He was horrified at first, but tried researching through any of the books in the palace library, hoping that his suspicions were wrong.

 

Frigga was a good teacher and she taught him many spells. However, Loki did learn a few things on his own such as masking and unmasking. He wasn’t particularly skilled at masking, but revealing true forms were easy enough.

 

He was in his bedroom looking at a mirror closely as he used an unmasking spell. His hands were shaky, and he was very hesitant on trying anything. He persisted anyways, hoping that it would fail. He was remarkable at learning, but sometimes he wished he was as obtuse as Thor.

 

As expected, his hands became blue and so did his entire body, but the one thing that confirmed his fears entirely, was the bright red in his eyes. The colors clashed, but their qualities made it clear what he was.

 

He was...he is a monster.

 

Then, Thor’s words from earlier came back. “Nobody wants you!”

 

Loki understood now that those words were truer than the life he’s lived. He requested his food to be delivered directly to his chambers so he could continue studying. Not a single Asgardian soul cared that he didn’t eat with his family. Frigga was engrossed in his lie, so she only checked on him after dinner. Odin and Thor didn’t do or say anything about it.

 

Frigga stroked his head as she hummed. When night came, Loki genuinely wanted to eat alone, unlike the other times when he was testing his “theory”. Frigga sighed and wished him well as she closed the door. Loki decided to use his time wisely now.

 

He packed his outfits and necessary equipments. Loki wiped a tear from his face and looked out the window. He was better off dead to them, he thought. A servant knocked on his door, and he hid his bag, accepting the meal. He closed the door gently and let out a breath of contempt. Why did he bother? Not even Heimdall cared about the discovery. Otherwise, he would report it to Odin as soon as possible.

 

Maybe he should end it all there. What reason was there to continue on? To be a pawn for a game he didn’t want to play? Loki ate his supper before making his way out.

 

A secret passage out of Asgard, beyond even Heimdall’s senses, awaited him. How he had found it? Well, being left alone for long periods of time may have something to do with it. Where was he supposed to go at this point? Jotunheim seemed like an okay option until he remembered that he was a runt. It would do no good to be there. Loki only wanted to stay hidden for a temporary time period, until he had himself sorted out. He would come back, be punished for leaving, and learn more about himself.

 

He also wanted to watch a different world grow without his influence.

 

Maybe Midgard will do. Yes, Midgard. It could take a few years to get there without the Bifrost . Was he really planning to leave for that long? Yes, he decided. Maybe it’s best to be away until nobody remembered him, to be somewhere he had no connections to. Midgard was the perfect place to be in.

 

. . .

 

The morning after, Thor woke up with dread. No servant came to wake him, and the sound of women whispering with panic filled words filled his ears. He sat up and did his daily routine without the servants.

 

When he walked out, he was greeted by many workers stressing over something. Frigga was among the crowd and saw Thor. She rushed towards him and held her son in her arms.

 

“He’s gone. Loki’s gone.”

 

Thor’s blood went cold.

 

He and Frigga accompanied Odin as they made their way towards a familiar gatekeeper. Thor was stiff. He hoped Loki was hiding away somewhere in the palace, but not a single room was overlooked.

 

Thor thought about what he had said to Loki, realizing that he had pushed his brother. With what happened the other day, maybe it triggered a meltdown.

 

What if Loki had ran away? What if he was dead?

 

What if it was Thor’s fault he died?

 

All the prince could think about was Loki’s fate, and how he may have indirectly caused it.

 

Heimdall was at the Bifrost as expected. He bowed to Odin and began speaking. “Loki is traveling to Midgard.”

 

“Midgard?” Thor said. Frigga shushed him and looked back at Heimdall.

 

Odin started asking questions. He was about to send someone after Loki, but Frigga stopped him.

 

“Maybe we should let him be on his own. I think it would be best to keep tabs on him but stay away unless something life threatening happens to him.”

 

“What about Jotunheim? Who are we going to arrange the marriage with?”

 

“They don’t need to know. We have a truce now, albeit rocky. To them, Loki is a studying Asgardian prince away to master magic.”

 

Thor watched as they talked things through. Soon, it was decided that Loki would be allowed to stay away until they need him again. The old prince didn’t like the decision, especially because he couldn’t ever apologize to Loki again.

 

Frigga looked at Thor. She hesitated, and he could see her internally battling over something. She sighed. “Thor, we have to keep Loki running away a secret. We will wipe away any memory of panic and replace it with the knowledge that Loki is mastering spells abroad. That means you will have to keep this a secret. I don’t want to replace your memory, but if it will make things better-,”

 

“No! I want to remember so I can help him when he needs it! I want to remember so I can apologize to him!”

 

Frigga stroked his hair and cooed. She told him that he will see the other prince again as long as he kept the secret.

 

. . .

 

Eventually hundreds of years passed and Thor had soon forgotten about Loki. He was focused on his friends and becoming king. However, when a few Jotunns snuck in, Thor was ready to pursue war. He was arrogant and had nobody to keep him down.

 

Of course, Sif and the Warriors Three followed him to confront Laufey against Odin’s orders.

 

Well, that didn’t go well, did it?

 

Odin interfered and saved them, stripped away Thor’s power, and sent him to Midgard.

 

When Odin asked Frigga if sending him to Midgard was the best idea, the queen nodded. “I think that meeting his brother again may change something.”

 

. . .

 

Thor was sent to a strange place. It was nightmarish seeing these huge buildings and transportation devices. People who looked like him walked by, laughing at how he looked. 

 

“Is that guy cosplaying?”

 

“Him? I never thought that strong guys would be such losers.”

 

What was cosplaying? He had no idea. A sudden crash alerted him. A ship of sorts was lodged in a building. He heard screaming all around him, and many people were running away from the smoke and fumes. 

 

A group of odd individuals surrounded the ship and started fighting the figures in it. Thor was too far away to see what they were, but he recognized something odd.

 

Among the fighters, he saw another male with midnight black hair and emerald green eyes contrasting against his smooth, white skin. His outfit consisted of what looked like a black, hooded trench coat with green lining the inside. It looked like a cape whenever he jumped from place to place, revealing another black outfit underneath. Gold highlighted and accented the skin tight pants. His shirt, if you could even call it that,  was more complex in design than what he saw the other mortals wear, gold at the collarbone and what looked like black leather. 

 

It wasn’t all to clear who it was, but Thor was mesmerized by the mysterious person, so much so, he didn’t even realize that a building was about to fall on him. The lithe man with alabaster skin looked towards him with a slightly annoyed expression and muttered something under his breath. Suddenly, the mysterious figure was right next to him in a matter of seconds. A green glow emitted from his hands as he grabbed and carried Thor over his shoulder with some struggle. Immediately after adjusting his hold, he used a form of magic to take himself and Thor away from the falling building.

 

“Holy shit, you’re heavy. Who are-,”

 

Thor got a closer look, and felt familiarity surge through him. Midgardians were weaker. They shouldn’t be able to carry him. That detail coupled with other physical aspects caused something to click.

 

“L-Loki?!”

 

The figure carrying Thor slipped on the pavement in surprise but caught himself with his magic. He put Thor down and coughed. The figure then looked up at Thor and gaped at him.

 

“You’re an Asgardian?!”


	2. Confrontation

Thor’s heart broke when Loki didn’t recognize him. However, the latter didn’t notice that pain. He was rather confused and even angry.

 

“Why are you here? You could have gotten yourself killed!”

 

“Loki, it’s me, Thor!”

 

Loki paused. His eyes narrowed. He was about to speak, but another peculiar thing flew by. Well, it wasn’t a thing. It was a person inside of a thing, Thor realized.

 

“Loki, what are you doing here? We can’t have you flirting with cosplay boy right now.”

 

“Sorry, go ahead and do whatever you do. I’ll catch up.”

 

“You better.” The man said as he flew away. Loki rolled his eyes.

 

“I’m not flirting with a cosplay boy!”

 

He turned around and glared at Thor. Loki huffed. “Why don’t you help me out? Use Mjolnir or whatever.”

 

Thor nervously shifted as Loki raised a brow. “What’s the problem?”

 

“Father...he sent me here as a punishment and…,” Thor tried willing Mjolnir to fly into his hand, but alas, nothing happened. “I am unable to use Mjolnir now.”

 

Loki gave him an unimpressed sigh. “Okay, just stay out of the way. I’ll come back for you later.”

 

Upon closer inspection, Loki’s hands seemed slim like when they were young, in an elegant sort of way. It was partially covered with black fingerless gloves that showed off equally thin fingers with black nails. Something told Thor that black was a favorite.

 

Thor gulped, worried about Loki’s wellbeing. Why shouldn’t he be? It’s been centuries since the last time the talked, and Loki disappeared on particularly bad terms with the God of Thunder. The first time they reunite, is during a battle. What if Loki really did die this time around? What if he got crushed by whatever creature was in the ship?

 

The younger prince turned away, using magic to take him to the building where the main fight was happening. That left Thor staring in awe as his brother moved with speed and agility. His knife throwing skills were surprisingly accurate.

 

He was curious as to what he had missed in Loki’s life. He watched and saw something akin to a smirk, something Thor hadn’t seen in an even longer time frame, forming on Loki’s face. His lips were curled up as destruction was created behind him. He, along with some other people, fought inhuman creatures. They were most likely other worldly, he figured.

 

He watched helplessly as the battle continued. Eventually, it came to an end when the man in iron destroyed the last of those creatures. Other pedestrians watched from afar, gasping as the dust settled.

 

Some officers evacuated the group forming and nodded to the group.

 

Thor could hear a man walking towards him, yelling at him to leave the sight, but Loki took notice and jumped down skillfully. He used a quick spell that teleported him to Thor. Only the best of sorcerers could ever use spells without verbally saying a thing, and the God of Thunder concluded that his brother really had mastered the art of something Thor could never begin to understand.

 

“Excuse me, officer. I’ll personally take this particular one if you don’t mind.”

 

“Well-,” the man was about to object, but Loki put a hand up.

 

“Please, Agent Nick Fury would gladfully take him off your hands.”

 

The man hesitated but nodded. “Alright,”

 

He walked over to the other uniformed men and pointed towards Thor before going back to ensuring safety among the citizens. Loki sighed and rubbed his temple.

 

“Brother, would you care to enlighten me on whatever is going on?”

 

“Of course-,”

 

“Later, I’m currently busy.”

 

Thor looked behind Loki, seeing five other people walking towards him. Well, four other people and a big, green creature. The younger of the two noticed his gaze and looked behind. He sighed again, highlighting his annoyance. 

 

The red and yellow suited man flew towards Loki and snarkily smirked at him when his helmet opened. “Wow, you and cosplay boy have really hit it off, eh? Makes sense since-,”

 

“Cut it, Stark. I can always mess up that iron of yours.”

 

“Okay, okay, chill. I don’t get why you’re wasting time with him though.”

 

Another man, this time wearing blue with red and white stripes, came towards them. The shield he carried was by his side.

 

“Loki, is something wrong?”

 

The younger prince hummed in reply. “Well Steve, this is...my brother, the one I told you about?”

 

A spark of recognition flashed in the other man’s eyes. “Oh! He’s Thor?”

 

“Indeed. I assume he needs somewhere to stay, but he isn’t accustomed to Earth’s traditions, so he is most certainly unable to book a hotel or anything remotely close.”

 

“How would you know if I need somewhere to stay?” Thor muttered, feeling insulted. Still he was relieved to see Loki alive.

 

Loki eyed him up and down with a raised eyebrow. “Your outfit screams recent newcomer.” He turned towards Steve and made a hand gesture at Thor. “Is it alright if I use one of the rooms in the Avengers tower?”

 

The other man rolled his eyes and patted Loki on the shoulder, a motion that Thor never would have thought Loki would allow for a Midgardian. “Of course, we just have to report back to Fury. You know you’re welcome any time. You’re an Avenger after all.”

 

Loki huffed and turned away. “I am NOT an Avenger. I simply come around whenever I’m bored.”

 

The man Loki called Stark rolled his eyes. “Come on, you’re registered in the system as an Avenger. Why do you keep acting so hard to get? It’s not like you wanted to turn on us, especially with Captain America over here being your sleeping buddy and all.”

 

Steve choked on his saliva and turned pink. “Tony, Loki and I have never done that.”

 

Loki rolled his eyes at the iron suited man. “You’re delirious. You know that Steve and I have known each other longer because of our age.”

 

“And yet you never joined your boyfriend here.”

 

“I have no obligation to- you know what? We have more pressing matters right now.”

 

“That’s right,” said a woman. Her red curls bouncing with every step. “We have no idea why these aliens are targeting us. They don’t seem to have much of a connection with Loki, and I seriously doubt that they’ll stop.”

 

Another man holding a bow at his side glanced at Thor curiously before focusing back on the conversation. “We should move the discussion to another time.”

 

The others nodded. The big green creature seemed to shrink and turn more humanlike. Loki murmured something in his ear and patted his back.

 

“I’m going to see if there’s anything we missed in that ship. Stark, you’re coming with me. Romanoff, Steve, search the area to see if there are any civilians. Banner, that’s my brother, Thor. Keep him busy. Introduce him to Earth while you help them. You can call Fury and send a report to him. Barton, keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

 

The man in iron scoffed. “Since when were you the leader? You aren’t even on the team, right?”

 

“Shut up, I just want to take action.”

 

“Okay, so defensive all the time,” 

 

Banner shrugged. “I mean, he’s kind of right, Tony. We could’ve missed something.”

 

Loki grinned. “See? Somebody’s smart enough to see my reasoning. Anyways, if there are no more problems, let’s get going.”

 

He allowed no room to protest as he disappeared and reappeared far away where the ship crashed. Tony followed with a groan. Steve rubbed his neck and looked at Thor.

 

“I’m Steve Rogers. You’re Thor, right?”

 

“Yes, I am Thor, son of Odin, God of Thunder.”

 

Romanoff and Barton rolled their eyes. The latter opted to watch out for anything strange. The woman started looking for any bystanders unfortunately caught in the incident.

 

Steve seemed mildly uncomfortable with Thor’s presence, but smiled politely. He followed Romanoff to look for possible trapped victims. Banner coughed and looked at Thor with a slightly intimidated look.

 

“I have no idea why Loki didn’t tell Steve to show you around, but I’m Banner, Bruce Banner. It’s nice to meet you.”

 

“Likewise,”

 

Banner nodded and motioned for Thor to follow. “You and Loki are brothers, right?”

 

“Yes,”

 

“You two look very different, I’ll tell you that.”

 

“I suppose we are.”

 

They continued searching for pedestrians, but luckily, there weren’t any casualties on the streets. In the building where the ship crashed however, there were a few unfortunate souls.

 

Loki preserved the bodies as Tony looked at the ship’s technology.

 

“Say, what’s with you and your brother?” he asked nonchalantly.

 

“What do you mean?” Loki responded as he tried keeping a random man alive.

 

“You aren’t happy about him being here?”

 

“Stark, there is a reason I ran away.”

 

The man paused and looked back at Loki who was trembling ever so slightly. “That’s the first time you’ve talked about your past in quite a while.”

 

Loki was silent. He stabilized the citizen’s health and teleported the body to another station. Tony noticed the uncharacteristic quietness.

 

“He seemed happy to see you.”

 

“Shut it, Stark.”

 

“Look, Steve’s the only one who knows anything about you other than S.H.I.E.L.D. You and cosplay boy need to talk.”

 

Loki sighed. “Did you find anything regarding the ship?”

 

“No, nothing.”

 

“Well, if there’s nothing, then let’s head back to the others.”

 

. . .

 

The Avengers were seated on a couch along with Thor. Banner in particular asked a myriad of questions aimed directly at Thor and Loki.

 

“I thought Loki would have told you of these things already.” Thor mused.

 

Loki was standing by one of the glass panes, ignoring most of the conversation. Tony in turn laughed sarcastically. “Him? He’s as secretive as an assassin.”

 

Loki turned and threw a knife that dissipated as soon as it was one centimeter from Tony’s face.

 

“Okay, touchy subject, I get it.”

 

Banner nodded and asked, “Loki’s been here on Earth for a while. Why is that?”

 

The younger prince gritted his teeth and shifted uncomfortably. “You don’t need to-,”

 

“It’s my fault.” Thor interrupted.

 

The curious atmosphere turned sour as soon as he said that. Loki glared at Thor and left the living room.

 

“I’m going to help prepare his room. Don’t bother me.”

 

Thor reached out for Loki. “Brother-,”

 

“Save it! I’ll get the report and read it. It’s not like you want me around.” He muttered the last sentence, but the rest of the residents heard it.

 

Tony whistled. “Wow, he’s extra salty today.”

 

Steve sighed and stood up. “I’ll go talk to him.”

 

He looked at Thor apologetically and left to go after Loki.

 

The God of Thunder peered at the captain and back at the rest of the Avengers.

 

“I have a question.”

 

Barton shrugged. “What is it?”

 

Thor glance to where Loki last stood and rubbed his face. “Why does that Steve Rogers seem more familiar with my brother than all of you?”

 

Romanoff sighed. “It could be the fact that they’ve known each other longer than any of us have. It’s been about sixty or seventy years since they first met. Steve is much older than he looks after being frozen for so long. He’s actually in his nineties right now.”

 

Thor blinked before remembering that Midgardians had an average lifespan of eighty years.

 

“I see,”

 

He groaned, cursing himself. “Loki has been gone for over six hundred years. I fear that I know why he did.”

 

Tony raised a brow. “That long? How long do you guys live?”

 

“An average lifespan for us is five thousand one hundred Midgardian years.”

 

Barton choked on his spit before saying, “Well, you must have seen things.”

 

Romanoff steered their attention back to the conversation at hand. “So, you’re the God of Thunder who lost all his powers because of Odin. Loki ran away to Earth over six hundred years ago because of something you did? What did you even say that made him vanish like that?

 

“Yes, um, I…I got into some arguments with him, and I told him that...nobody wanted him.”

 

Tony cringed in mock pain. “That was bad enough to make him run away?”

 

“I suspect that him getting a punishment for doing nothing was part of it. There was something more to his absence that mother and father never told me. I think that may also have contributed to his disappearance.”

 

Tony was unamused by all of Thor’s confession. “So what you’re saying, is that your words and your parents’ secret made him run away.”

 

“Well I would not put it as simply as...yes.”

 

. . .

 

Steve knocked the already opened door. He saw Loki’s back turned towards him as the older of the two worked on a spell to perfect the room. At least it looked like that, but Steve knew that the Asgardian was only doing it to distract himself.

 

Loki turned around, his mask of indifference only slightly cracking. “I know I shouldn’t have left like that. I just can’t stand being around him right now.”

 

“Yeah, I get it. I know you aren’t happy to see him, but you’re still brothers.”

 

“Steve, you know I’m adopted.”

 

“Still, you told me that you trusted him.”

 

“That time’s long gone! I’ve left him and he moved on. The last time we talked, he wanted nothing to do with me! Once he gets his stupid hammer back, he’ll leave, and I’ll stay here, watching humanity rise and crumble.” Loki’s raised voice quieted by the time he was finished. He sat on the floor by a wall, hugging his knees.

 

Steve hadn’t seen this side of Loki for a long time. The latter had a regal stance, not letting a single detail slip. He put up facades and usually grinned as he used tricks to surprise others. Loki didn’t crack on a regular basis, but with Thor around, that man change. Steve sat by Loki, head against the wall.

 

“Remember Bucky? I know you guys didn’t like each other too much since you were incredibly hostile, but you saw how we both cared for each other. We had our...fair share of fights, but in the end, we were friends. Thor still remembers you just like I remember Bucky. Try to make things right.”

 

Loki nodded along. “I’m sorry about him, but Thor and I have nothing to say to each other.”

 

Steve gave a sad glance at his friend. “You know, when I first saw you, I couldn’t believe that you were real. You just appeared out of nowhere and just fell into the battle. It was really scary seeing that a fifteen year old was in the middle of a battle, about to die. Of course you weren’t actually fifteen. But you looked way too young to be in battle.”

 

Loki chuckled. “Yeah, practicing teleportation during a battle wasn’t the best idea. How did it go again?”

 

Steve laughed with him. “You were shot and I happened to be around. It was really weird. You looked young and really...clean. You had no scars, no dirt on you until you fell, and it was like you came out of a fairytale. I managed to find you again while the guns were still firing and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”

 

“I suppose seeing a crying boy on the ground with a green glow wasn’t common.”

 

“Of course not. Anyways that wound was healing quicker than any normal human. Then you just passed out and your magic stopped healing you.”

 

Loki and Steve were laughing, forgetting about Thor and the other Avengers.

 

Steve started talking again when they were done laughing about how confused he was when he first saw Loki.

 

Their reminiscing was fully over when Loki stood up. “Do you mind if I also sleep in one of the rooms? Of course it has to be the furthest away from this one.”

 

Steve smiled. “You’re always welcome, Loki. After all, you ARE an Avenger.”

 

Loki looked away and huffed. “I am not an Avenger.”

 

“Sure,”

 

“Shut up, Steve.”

 

They laughed some more before standing up to join the others again.


	3. Surprising A/N

I have some fortunate news. I am able to continue this story because my personal problems have been stabilized and I really felt guilty about discontinuing this. I am very sorry for the inconvenience! Won’t happen again!


	4. Settling in a Spiky Environment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Thor have another argument. Thor finds out what the others think of Loki and most of what they say aren’t pleasant

The tension between the brothers was strong in the air. Bruce and Steve had to escort them due to Loki’s hostility and Thor’s persistence. Tony in particular had been instructed not to go near them because of everyone else’s fear of him provoking either one of them.

 

“Brother, please listen! I want to apologize-,” Thor began once more. Loki snapped around with a burning fire in his eyes.

 

“Apologize? Why do you feel the need to apologize? Is it because you want me to apologize? Are you trying to get me to apologize because you think it’s fair that if you said sorry I should too?”

 

“Loki, I know you’re furious, but I was young and foolish. If I could take it back then I would, Brother!”

 

Bruce was uncomfortable as he lightly nudged Thor away. However, Thor pushed on and ignored the scientist’s advice to stay away. Loki was usually one to sit back in a fight, but not even Steve could convince him to stand down as he shouted at Thor.

 

“I am not your brother! Has Odin never told you that? He was probably too busy raising his real son and sulking when his only child became unworthy of a stupid hammer!”

 

“That is impossible! I refuse to believe that you are not son of Odin. How did you even know of Mjolnir? Were you the reason the Frost Giants were able to sneak past Heimdall?”

 

Steve and Bruce glanced at each other, suddenly realizing that they should call for someone to separate the two gods.

 

Loki’s face was one of disbelief and betrayal. “You would believe that I would run away and out of spite, help the frost giants? You imbecile! I knew of Mjolnir the same way I knew of my heritage. Of course, you haven’t an ounce of a cell in that brain of yours!”

 

Thor was silent for a moment, reconsidering his words. “Brother-,”

 

Loki seethed when he saw Thor’s hint of guilt and regret. He had almost wanted Thor to simply be angry and senseless because it would be much easier for Loki to vent out his own emotions.

 

“Shut up! You know nothing about me! I’m sure you even forgot about my existence back on Asgard!”

 

At that moment, Loki could see himself becoming a villain and terrorizing Midgard through his anger, but he kept that thought controlled like the rest of his emotions. Quick, shallow breaths filled in the rest of the silence in the corridor.

 

Instead of the searing rage Loki expected, Thor had opted to walk towards him with a pitiful gaze. That was even worse to him. The blonde man embraced the younger of the two.

 

“I hate it when you cry, Loki. It was annoying back then, but I would rather hear that again than see you hold back your sadness.”

 

He hadn’t realized the tears welling up in his eyes. No, he wasn’t going to simply forgive Thor like that, not when he was still in anguish. Loki shoved Thor away from him. It should’ve proved futile due to Thor’s greater strength, but this time, he didn’t resist the way Loki had hit him. He did however look away with more regret than before.

 

“Stay away from me, Odinson.”

 

With that he disappeared.

 

Steve and Bruce gave sorry looks to Thor, but didn’t budge. Bruce led Thor to the temporary room that was set up. Steve lingered for a moment longer, staring at where Loki had vanished.

 

* * *

 

The next day showed no signs of Loki. Thor was getting used to his surroundings while sitting in the lounge along with Natasha and Bruce. Steve was cooking breakfast the best he could with as little help as possible, his eyes vacant with his mind elsewhere. Tony flipped through tv channels as he sipped the coffee in his mug.

 

Clint entered the lounge last and leaned against a wall. “So Loki’s gone again?”

 

Natasha nodded. “He is,”

 

Clint glanced at Thor before looking back at Steve. “I honestly don’t get why you’re friends with that guy. He terrorized us the first time he met us.”

 

Steve was brought back into reality and glared at him. “I can’t really excuse him for terrorizing you, but you have to understand that things have been tough and now he’s our ally.”

 

Thor coughed confusedly. “He...terrorized you?”

 

Bruce nodded. “Yeah, tried to take over the world. Except not really, it was like a worldwide scary prank.”

 

The God of Thunder blinked. “A...worldwide scary prank.”

 

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Yes, he frightened a few people, but in the end surrendered because he never really wanted to take over in the first place.”

 

“Oh,” Thor mumbled.

 

Tony, without ever looking away from the screen, spoke. “I have to agree with Clint. He’s honestly infuriating. He’s so secretive and over dramatic about his life. I mean, I haven’t ever heard him shout at the top of his lungs like yesterday, but he wasn’t exactly friendly to us either.”

 

Bruce shrugged. “Other than that taking over the world thing, I found him kind of nice.”

 

Tony scoffed and Clint raised a brow. The former choked out a reply. “I’m sorry, what? You of all people should know how infuriating he is.”

 

The scientist shrunk under the attention. “I mean, once you get to know him, he gives you a new perspective.”

 

Tony stared at him, not taking in a single word.

 

“When he isn’t teasing, he’s quite different. He’s lonely, Tony. He’s quiet when he tolerates you. He’s smart enough to understand my field of work. He’s...he’s a completely different person is what I’m saying.”

 

“Really? He never shuts up.” Clint muttered.

 

“Loki is a mystery, Clint. He actually likes staying silent because nothing goes wrong when things are quiet according to him.”

 

Thor took all of their thoughts in, trying to figure out what sort of person Loki has become.

 

Still, Loki did not return that day or the next.


	5. Invasion

Loki focused his attention on his self given task. For once Thor was the voice of reason and that infuriated Loki.

 

He calmed himself with another spell and came to realize how alone he was. He had rejected his brother’s affection and the home he could’ve had. Realizing how stupid it was to shove his brother aside, he begrudgingly headed back to the tower. He was still angry, but the pain had simmered down.

 

On his way, he felt a pair of eyes trailing him. He cursed under his breath and turned around.

 

“So, the Kree Empire wants to take Earth too?”

 

He got no response. A dagger materialized out of thin air. “Come at me. I know how to cut you up.”

 

A familiar uniform was revealed after the threat. A Kree soldier put his hands up. “Hey, hey, we’ll leave Earth alone if you give us the Tesseract. I know you know where it is.”

 

Loki shook his head and laughed. “You’re a fool if you think I’ll give it up. I don’t like a single person on this cursed planet but it’s the only home I have.”

 

“You can join us. We can help you take Thor and Odin down. We won’t hurt you”

 

The words rang in Loki’s ears. “I don’t give a crap what they do.”

 

He threw the dagger. The Kree warrior dodged it easily, but it gave time for Loki to disappear. However before he did, the Kree warrior blasted his gun at him. 

 

So much for not hurting him.

 

. . .

 

Tony jumped when he heard a crash in his lab. There on the ground was a battered up Loki.

 

“Shit, what happened this time edgelord?”

 

Loki coughed and stood up, using the wall to support him. “Get everyone in the lounge and I’ll explain what’s going on.”

 

He slipped and caught himself at the last moment. Tony put Loki’s arm around his shoulder. “Woah there buddy, I don’t think you should even think about talking right now.”

 

“Stark, we don’t have time to worry. Get us all together, and I’ll explain. Soon enough I’ll be out of your hair.”

 

Tony crossed his arms. “Can you ever stop with the disappearing act? If we’ve got a serious enemy, then we need to fight together. We can’t have that when you’re playing your games and staying mad at your brother. Think about Steve. He’s worried sick about you.”

 

“If he’s worried sick then I’ll stay out of his life for as long as-,”

 

“No nonononono, that’s not what I meant. We just want things to be simple. Do it for the old man.”

 

Loki bit his bottom lip and sighed. “Fine, I’ll stay in the tower until the threat is taken care of. After that, I need to skidaddle on out of here.”

 

They started walking as best as they could, but the conversation never stopped.

“Why? Why do you run away? You don’t need to.”

 

“Don’t act like you want me to be here.”

 

“Oh is that why you run off, because you’re scared of what we think?” Tony asked jokingly.

 

“...”

 

“Holy shit, really? Sheesh, you’re the most judgmental one out of all of us.”

 

Loki looked down in annoyance. “Shut up, Stark.”

 

“Uh no, my house, my rules. But if that’s really your problem then try to fix it instead of running away.”

 

A moment of silence hit them. Tony looked at the god he was helping. Loki’s skin was paler than usual. Maybe it was from blood loss. He watched as the magic involuntarily healed him. Loki was able to stand on his own, but he was a mess.

 

“Wise words for a playboy.”

 

“Hey, how do you think I kept the business running for so long?”

 

Loki scoffed. “I don’t know, through tricks?”

 

“Tch, that’s your thing, not mine.”

 

Tony laughed to himself. “Hey Jarvis? Call for the others.”

 

“Of course, Mister Stark.”

 

 By the time they reached the lounge, everyone else was there. Steve and Thor in particular were both relieved and horrified. Loki rolled his eyes.

 

“What happened to you?” Clint asked.

 

“Kree soldier blasted an energy gun at me.”

 

Natasha narrowed her eyes. “I’m sorry, what?”

 

“The Kree are an otherworldly society, like Asgard and Earth. They want to take over the entire universe.”

 

“The...entire universe?” Bruce murmured.

 

Loki coughed. “Earth is next. We’re all going to die if nothing is done. Even with two gods, a super soldier, a Russian spy, a scientist with an iron suit, an archer, and a...very strong creature, our opponent would still be strong enough to take over. Even with S.H.I.E.L.D., it’s practically impossible to take them down. We need another army to help us. I can try hiding citizens away but my seidr might not be strong enough to help much.”

 

Clint crossed his arms. “What do we do then?”

 

Everyone could see Loki’s mind at work. “We prepare as much as possible. Stock up on weapons. Let Fury know. Let the entire world know. Then we need to get allies.”

 

Thor stood up. “Loki, you can go to father for help.”

 

The trickster froze. “No, no, out of the question. I can’t go back. Thor, can’t you just tell Heimdall?”

 

“What if father doesn’t listen to Heimdall? We need someone to convince him, but I am banished from Asgard until I am worthy.”

 

Thor saw the fear in his eyes, the raging fire of thoughts roared within Loki’s mind. The dark haired god clenched his fists, but came to a conclusion.

 

“Fine, I’ll go, but if I die, then there’s little to no hope for any of us.”

 

Loki was about to call for Heimdall, but Steve gripped his wrist. “Wait, there are other realms, right? Maybe you can go to them for help.”

 

Loki smiled at his friend. “No, Thor’s quite right. Odin is our best bet for an ally. I can’t simply go to another realm and ask for assistance for a planet I don’t belong to. When I get back, I’ll use all the seidr I can to help, but that might kill me.”

 

Clint raised a brow. “Are the Kree really so bad that you would die trying to destroy them?”

 

Loki barked out a laugh while Thor paled. “Oh, you think that my seidr is enough to even make a dent in their forces? No, there’s no use. My seidr will be to save people, not destroy opponents.”

 

Bruce rubbed his arm. “Yeah, that’s really bad then.”

 

Steve let go of Loki’s arm. “Try to come back alive, Loki.”

 

The god grinned. “Of course, Captain.”

 

And just like that, he teleported to another place so that the Bifrost wouldn’t be too much of a catastrophe.

 

“Heimdall! I know this is sudden, but this has nothing to do with me. The nine realms are at risk!”

 

The bright light came down and with that, Loki was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Hope that was an ok chapter! Any feedback is great for me and motivates my lazy butt.


	6. Allfather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of these kudos! That was really quick. Thank you for reading! If you can, please leave feedback! I love reading comments and they motivate me.
> 
> Again, thank you!

The stars were beautiful as always. Their glimmer made Loki remember the wonder he used to feel when he was younger. If there was one thing he missed on Earth, it was the beauty of the universe. Even in the most isolated areas of Earth, the amount of color in the universe could never show.

 

Asgard was still the golden realm he remembered. Its architecture was a fantasy to mere mortals, but a reality he had left long ago. It’s been centuries since the last time he used the Bifrost to get anywhere. 

 

Heimdall nodded to him as he pulled out the sword. “Welcome back, my prince.”

 

Loki, feeling out of place nodded back. “Thank you, Heimdall. If you don’t mind, may I use some sort of cloak to disguise myself until I enter the palace?”

 

Heimdall paused. “I will inform Fandral to escort you back.”

 

“E-escort?” Loki didn’t feel that he needed an escort. He was fine on his own.

 

“Prince Loki, if you do not wish to attract attention, then you mustn't lurk in the shadows whilst trying to hide your identity. An escort would allow you to pass freely through the streets of Asgard without much suspicion.”

 

“I suppose that makes sense, but why Fandral?”

 

“The only person you trust in Asgard is Frigga, but she would surely cause people to look in her direction. I assume that either Fandral or Hogun would be your next possible companions, but alas, Hogun is away on a mission.”

 

“I see, thank you Heimdall.”

 

The raven haired prince could see a man on a horse approaching, most likely to be Fandral. The gatekeeper looked at Loki and smiled so slightly that if he had blinked he would’ve missed it.

 

“You needn’t worry Prince Loki. Nobody is mad at you. In fact, quite the contrary. Everyone is happy to see that you are doing well.”

 

Another stab of guilt forced its way into Loki’s brain. Even after he had abandoned his family, they still cared and watched over him to some extent. He didn’t respond, but he knew Heimdall could understand what he was thinking simply by looking.

 

The sound of galloping became clearer and more crisp the closer it got. The Robin Hood esque man wore the dashing smile he was known for. The horse came to a stop and Loki could only nod at how the Asgardian look. He was certainly more grown up, and that Loki had expected. However, he couldn’t put a finger on why he was put off by Fandral’s appearance.

 

“Prince Loki! Oh my, you have grown quite a bit. You were always lanky back in our youth.”

 

Loki looked away in an almost embarrassed manner. He had grown a bit more muscle over the years, but back when they were mere children, he was small compared to the others. Now, he was an inch taller than Fandral.

 

“That doesn’t matter. I have urgent news to bring to the Allfather.”

 

Fandral’s smile slightly fell, but he didn’t seem too bothered by Loki’s brush off. “I understand that you have been away for a while, but he is still your father in the same way as he is Thor’s. You can still call him father.”

 

Loki snapped quietly, “He is not my father. Let us move on.”

 

He winced at his words when he saw Fandral frown. He composed himself and said, “Nevermind that, my apologies.”

 

The blonde nodded in forgiveness. “It’s fine, Prince Loki.”

 

Fandral waved to Heimdall and mounted his horse. He looked at Loki, smiling again. “Can you still ride one of these?”

 

“Of course,” Loki huffed. He climbed on behind Fandral. “Let’s go quickly now.”

 

“Hold on tight!” Fandral yelled.

 

With a single movement, the horse was galloping at full speed to the palace. Loki reluctantly held on to Fandral’s waist. He shielded his face with Fandral’s back and waited for it to end.

 

Soon enough, they reached the palace doors. Whispers rose from the guards when they saw who was behind Fandral. The two riders dismounted the horse and walked towards the palace. A servant took the horse to the royal stables as the guards opened the doors.

 

Loki stopped breathing when he saw the golden interior for the first time in years. Fandral noticed the awe in Loki’s eyes and patted his back. “Welcome home, Prince Loki.”

 

They walked through the unending halls until they reached the throne room. Loki fidgeted with his fingers as he tried calming himself down to look competent. He didn’t want to admit the nagging anxiety, so he tilted his chin up and walked through the doors with a dignified appearance.

 

Odin sat on his throne, Gungnir in hand. “I see you have returned from your journeys, Son.”

 

Loki bowed on one knee, not taking his eyes off Odin’s face. “Yes Allfather, I have. There is an important matter that needs to be discussed.”

 

He searched for a sign of any though going through Odin’s mind. The deep frown on the old man’s face was clear and apparent. His single eye was watching Loki. The raven haired prince saw the discomfort growing. Fandral was still by his side, but he didn’t seem to notice the staring contest between the king and prince.

 

“Very well, then. Speak, my son.”

 

Loki sighed with relief and looked down. “The Kree want to invade Midgard and take the Tesseract. The mortals cannot defend against them on their own. I am asking you as both a former Asgardian and a protector of Midgard to send help our way.”

 

Odin lifted a hand to stroke his beard in consideration. “My son, you have finally come back only to ask for an army?”

 

Loki looked at Odin again. “This is not about me. It is about the safety of Midgard and the Nine Realms. If they retrieve the Tesseract, they will take over Midgard. They will aim to destroy and conquer Asgard next.”

 

Odin stood up and walked towards Loki. Each step echoed throughout the room, creating a chill that washed over everyone in sight.

 

“I see...I will do what I can to stop the Kree from taking over. You have my word.”

 

“Thank you Allfather,”

 

Loki stood up to leave, but Odin put a hand on his shoulder. “Will you not stay with us?”

 

The prince inhaled a sharp breath and turned to face Odin. “Please tell Frigga that I miss and love her. I cannot stay here when I could be warning Midgard of the upcoming problem.”

 

“Of course,”

 

Loki spun around and made his way towards the doors. He stopped when he heard Odin speak again.

 

“Loki, know that are still my son, even if not by blood.”


End file.
